You Can't Believe What You Hear
by ketzchexmex
Summary: Being born deaf, with the power to read peoples' minds, Bella Swam has never known what normal is. But she'll soon learn that she's apart of something greater while learning who she can really trust. Her best friend or the new handsome stranger in town.
1. Chapter 1

I know I'm not crazy.

At least…..that's what the voices tell me. And there are a lot of voices. So maybe, I'm not any more crazy than I already am. Does that even make sense? Are there different levels of being sane? It is a one to ten kind of thing or do I get 7.5 when I start seeing things that aren't there? I didn't ask for this gift, I'm still not sure if I even want it. It's one of those things you can't understand. It's not supposed to exist, and yet it does.

When I was younger I couldn't hear anything; I was born deaf. But I still remember the first day when I heard it. It all just happened at once. I had just turned five when one day I could hear people speaking. Hundreds of voices swarmed into my head. People were shouting and yelling, whispering and crying.

Small children hate loud noises. Try to imagine how I felt. Everything just kept getting louder and louder until I felt everything just pop. There was so much pressure that I felt everything around me explode. I started crying and then when the voices started to fade away I could hear the one sound I had longed to hear, my mother's. Instantly, being held in her arms, I knew that everything was going to be better. I thought it would be alright from then, and stay that way forever.

Never had I been more wrong in my entire life.

My parents divorced two years later and my dad took my younger brother Emmett with him. He was only 18 months then. We haven't heard a word from them since. Even though I love my mother as much as I do, it has always seemed that no one else shared those same feelings for her. She's always had a hard time finding work, even now, and when she finally manages to land a job, it never lasts for too long.

My elementary school is just four blocks down the road from our house so I never had too many problems getting there. As I moved onto high school, I had the pleasure of traveling the extra half mile to get to the slightly campus that I had only imagined that the inside looked like each time I biked to the store for groceries.

At first I didn't tell my mother about my gift, but as time went on, I got older, the voices intensified. I can hear people when they talk to me directly, but not very well. It is really as if someone has taken a TV remote and turned the volume down to 2 on everyone. The sound is there, but not unless you really focus on it. My other hearing abilities are the complete opposite. Everything in my head is crystal clear. At one point it just got so overwhelming that I finally manned up and told my mother. She thought I was crazy and that the depression of my father and brother leaving us had made me crack. I still don't think she really believes me today. She smiles at me and does the whole 'nod your head and the appropriate time' thing when I bring it up, but I know she hates that I talk about it. I bring it up, and she changes the subject while thinking she could send me to a therapist if she only had the money…

Everyone thinks I'm actually deaf, which really isn't a complete lie, so I had to learn sign language to pretend to interact with people. I don't want anyone to know what I can do, I don't want to be known as a freak. I can talk fine, but I've never had anything to say to someone. My inner voice tells me everything I need to know. It helps me distinguish between real people and others who hide behind masks. It's nice to know when you hear a compliment that there's sincerity behind it. I used to think that the popular kids were so happy, but it turns out that some of them feel just as bad as I do sometimes.

No one is really as they appear to be. To understand someone, you have to work your way in and spend time peeling away all of their layers before you really can know them. My gift just helps me skip that step and saves me time. Why spend the effort on someone if they're not genuine at all?

There are times that I cheat and use my abilities for more recreational purposes. Sometimes it is hard to ignore the answer that comes out of the whiz kid's mind during a pop quiz. I also have a knack for bringing my own lunch when the cafeteria serves 'surprise lunch meat'. Gym class is also a breeze. I seem to keep forgetting my running shoes and coach just punishes me by making my sit and write. Frankly, that's more of a reward than anything; I'm not exactly the most coordinated person.

Mom hates it though when I do any of that stuff. I think it's because she's upset that I don't suffer through the things normal kids have to go through. She wants me to stress about being unprepared or embarrassed if I forget something. It is times like those that I wonder what would have happened if I had told her about everything before the divorce. Maybe she would have fought harder to keep my brother, and I would be living with my father, god knows where.

It's because of all this that I knew I couldn't tell her.

Not this time. But that's what worried me most. If I couldn't tell her, then who could I tell? I didn't exactly have many close friends. Who in their right mind wanted to make the effort to interact with the deaf girl? It's not like I wanted to talk to anyone anyway. Their thoughts were about as shallow as kiddy pools and I had yet to find a single girl at my school that cared about something else besides how they looked.

The only decent person around here was a girl in my grade named Alice Brandon. We were more acquaintances than friends, but she was the only other student whose opinion I cared about. She was smart and had great fashion sense without trying. She had a natural beauty with her short cropped hair and dark blue eyes that were framed by thick rimmed glasses. She was a little shorter than most girls, but she had a warm smile that only came after suffering through most of elementary school with braces.

There was only one other person that I pretended to talk to besides Alice, my mother, and sometimes the teachers. He was new last year and I got to know him really well when we lab partners. He's probably the closest thing I've ever had to a friend. When we met, he had never seen, yet alone practiced anything that had to do sign language. But as the year went on he practiced and worked on it until we could communicate easily. It's the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. There's only one things though, that made him different from any of the other students.

No matter how hard I tried and focused, I couldn't hear any of Edward Cullen's thoughts.

At first I thought I was sick or there was something wrong with me. I ended up being fine, but I couldn't figure it out. It excited and infuriated me at the same time. He was completely silent to me.

There was no doubt in my mind that I loved him. He was genuinely kind and the only person to ever come up and talk to me voluntarily without the topic of the conversation being about school work or the weather. He has this way of smiling that only looked perfect when matched with his amazingly deep emerald eyes.

I don't know how long it'll take, but no matter how much it takes, I'm determined to get Edward to fall in love with me too.

Fortunately, he has remained single since he arrived. Plenty of girls have come up to ask him out; some even had the nerve to do so while we were in the middle of a conversation. He's always been very polite with them, kindly telling them each time that he wasn't interested. They kept on coming after him, some even trying twice, until finally the message was received and the countless number of suitors began to lessen and shrink until they died down all together.

Considering all the past we have together he does seem to be the most reasonable person to tell about all this. The only problem is, is that if I tell him, he will probably finally see me for the freak I really am. He means too much to me to risk that. It's hard though to just keep this to myself. It's actually quite ironic though; I'm practically silent my entire life, and now I'm desperately looking for someone to talk and listen to me.

Maybe I just thought I saw it. That is a possibility, this isn't the first time my mind has screwed with me. And with my talents, who knows what I'm actually capable of doing? That's it, I saw nothing, and it wasn't there. That fixes all my problems; nothing to worry or ponder about. Just put it behind me.

I was set with my plan until my mind decided otherwise.

I saw it again - the same scene, just in my dreams. Everything was the same: the clothes I was wearing, the sun beating onto my back, the fear shooting through my body. It wasn't just once though. I keep having the same dream over and over again and always waking up at the same point.

No matter how many times I try to close my eyes and forget about it, it won't go away. I'm wrong, completely wrong. It was real, it _had _happened.

**So there you have it! I wrote this a while ago, not meaning for it to be any sort of fanfic, but I thought, what the hey, why not?**

**So I really don't know if I should continue this at all, so let me know what you think!**

**Keep going? Or is it not worth the effort?**

**Review! **

**Until Next Time,**

**~Ketzchexmex**


	2. Chapter 2

No matter how many times I tried to close my eyes and forget it, it wouldn't go away.

I was wrong.

It was real.

It had happened.

It was like every other summer day in Texas, hot. I had been moping around the house all day soaking up as much air conditioning as I could. I had no idea what the exact temperature was, but I knew it was entering the hundreds and into dangerous regions. My mother was sitting at the dinning room table fanning herself with an old People magazine while reading the more current issue. I hadn't seen her the night before, and by the look of it, she was still wearing the previous nights' outfit. It was wrinkled and creased and there were evident set in pit stains while the buttons of the blouse were done up incorrectly leaving the last and first buttons hanging out awkwardly.

I wasn't sure but I also thought I could faintly smell smoke with a bit of alcohol mixed in. My dog Zeppelin was lying on the hardwood floor by my mom's feet with his head back and his tongue lazily hanging out. While I went over to the sink to get some water, he decided to get up and walk to the sliding glass door that led outside. When he realized that no one wanted to let him out, he scratched the door and let out an unexpected loud bark that echoed through the house.

"Dammit dog! You scared the shit out of me!"

Yup she was definitely suffering from a major hangover. She turned around and glared at me. Great as if shouting at the dog wasn't enough, now she was going to release more of her pent up anger towards me.

"Why are you just standing there? You've been a lazy ass all morning! Do something useful for once and take the dog out!"

She had no idea what she was saying. I took care of her and this house more than she did when she was sober, and in a better mood she would constantly thank me and wonder how I turned out to be so helpful and responsible.

Although outside looked hot as hell, I decided to grab the leash off the counter and take Zeppelin instead of dealing with my own hell in here. I was just planning on walking to the local gas station and back. I could grab a slushee, and that would take around 2 hours. It was a long enough time for mom to explode around the house and then collapse on the couch when she was done. It was a simple routine that I had live through many times. The process was simple and she would be completely sober when she woke up later.

I took Zeppelin through our normal route as if it were any other day. It seemed as though everything was fine. It really was just an ordinary extremely hot Texas summer day. We arrived at the store and I was already sweating buckets. The store clerk, Simon, was a good old man who had known my parents back when they were dating. I walked in and he smiled while signing "hello". Simon knew all about how my mother had taken a turn for the worst, and was just as familiar with this routine as I was. With mine having disappeared, Simon was the closest thing I had to a father. He cared about me and always worried about my school work and how other people treated me. I would come in at least three times a week during the school year to talk to him. He was the only responsible adult who wanted to talk to me. Unfortunately, he always gave me something that I never wanted from him or anyone else.

Pity.

Pity was a terrible thing to give to a person. What's worse is the look that goes with it. He never said anything to me directly, but I could hear him. It was the same words every time:

"That poor girl, she's still just a child. No deserves that kind of life."

My life was bad, but not that bad. I didn't want anyone feeling bad for me; there are a lot more terrible things going in this world that people can feel bad for. There are starving and homeless people out there. I don't deserve nor do I want to be on the same level of sympathy. Simon always keeps on that happy face, so it hurts more to read his thought and know he doesn't mean it when he looks so pleasant.

I got myself a slushee and a bottle of water as well for Zeppelin. He looked as though the heat had finally worn him down. I stayed a little while longer just signing with Simon. I did love him; there was no doubt in my mind that for all intensive purposes he was my father. He cared about me more than anyone not in my family should. He was one of the very few who treated me like any other person. I admired him for that because he really thought it was true. He didn't think that me being deaf was something that crippled me or made me weirdly different. He thought it made me stronger. He thought it was normal, just something that was a part of me. He couldn't picture me not being like that.

Zeppelin and I said our goodbyes and headed back into the heat. The sun was starting to sink, so I figured we had stayed longer than I had thought. Not wanting to be out walking around at night I decided to see if I could find some sort of shortcut. I can't figure it out now why I did though. I never take shortcuts. I have s terrible sense of direction and end up getting myself to my destination even later than I would have. I only did it because I have one of those freaky instinct flashes where my mind had made up its mind up about something, and wouldn't let me choose otherwise.

There was no one around.

I wasn't sure if I was happy that I was alone, or worried because I had quite possibly gotten myself lost. I cut through an alley way and sighed in relief when I recognized the empty church parking lot that resided two blocks away from my house. I could hear some very faint voices coming around from the different houses. Most people were either watching the game or dealing with their kids while trying to cook dinner. It was bitter sweet living in a mainly family populated neighborhood. It helped me picture the kind of life that I wanted and couldn't have.

Then it happened.

The stupid moment that had been playing over and over again in my head, and plagued my dreams on a constant basis. I heard the sound coming from the buses but assumed it was just a squirrel looking for shade. But when the rustling continued I started to get a little worried. Normally Zeppelin would be pulling me off my feet to see what was there, but instead he kept trying to lead me in the other direction.

Zeppelin was one of those dogs that was all bark and no bite; He would only pretend to be an excellent guard dog. Something was seriously wrong though when he started to whimper and shrink behind me in fear. It was then that it finally stepped out from behind a tree and revealed itself. It was staring right at me, and even though I kept blinking and kept rubbing my eyes, it wouldn't go away.

It wouldn't disappear

I wasn't dreaming

It had been real

Standing there, in my church parking lot, in Texas, in the middle of summer, and on one of the hottest days of the year…..was a wolf

It was just standing there like it enjoyed the heat, as if it were it's natural habitat. I then thought that maybe a wolf could possibly get into town…but when was the last time I had ever seen a wolf? The wildlife around here was limited to mainly squirrels and then rabbits at night. The most exotic thing to see was a fox and if you were lucky, a bobcat. But a wolf? In person?

I didn't realize it then, but it was the first time I had ever seen one out of a book or computer screen. I honestly wasn't sure what to do. Wolves were dangerous, weren't they? Should I run away or stay and call for help? Zeppelin was continued whining while I continued to stare at the beautifully terrifying creature in front of me. Because truthfully it was exactly that; beautiful. It had a full thick coat, a russet brown with a mix of orange and dark brown. It had a long tail as well as big ears that were slightly pricked upwards. It sniffed the pavement and then the air before turning its head towards me.

Even from the far away distance, I could see the clarity of its eyes. Two gleaming hazel gems that literally pierced through my body and explored the depths of my soul. It took a step towards me, and I still didn't move. That was when I heard it.

"What are you doing…..why aren't you running away?" For a moment I completely forgot about the animal and turned around to see if I could find the source of the voice. Someone had seen us and I was worried about being caught. But just as quickly as I had heard it, it disappeared and I was unable to trace the thought.

Ï don't know what you're looking for…I'm right here aren't I?"

I snapped my head back to the only possible explanation, but that still couldn't have been correct. I knew for a fact that I couldn't hear animals. That was why I enjoyed having Zeppelin around so much. You don't need to be able to read minds to know that animals aren't judgmental and love you for who you are faults and all. Maybe I could hear them if I tried to practice more with my gift, but they were just on a different frequency that I couldn't comprehend.

But there it was, looking me dead in the eyes as if we were having a regular conversation.

Of course then, I said one of the silliest things possibly imagined, "Are you talking…to me?"

I felt a little crazier than normal talking to the dangerous creature, but who was there to question my sanity?

"I knew it, "it exclaimed, "What's your name?" It had completely ignored my question and took a few more steps in my direction while I instinctively took some backwards. This didn't make any sense at all. I could hear this animal's thoughts, but only when it directed them towards me. I searched through its mind, but it was if there was some sort of barrier, cutting me off to any more information. Aside from Edward I had never had to deal with this kind of problem. To say it terrified me was an understatement.

"I don't think that's any of your business…not until I get some answers." I was trying to sound tough and seem brave, but my voice gave me away. My question was supposed to sound intimidating and instead it came out high and shaky. My legs felt weak and I couldn't keep my arms still by my side.

"Don't be afraid."

It stared straight into my eyes, and with those three small words, all my worry vanished.

I had no doubt in its voice and I completely trusted it. I was if someone had turned off everything going on in my mind and all I could see was the wolf. It wasn't getting late. Zeplin was shaking in fear. I didn't want to run away. All there was, was me….and _him. _

"I'm not going to hurt you. " I believed him

"Trust me." I trusted him

"I've been looking for you for a very long time. We'll talk soon, but I just need to know your name before I can leave." My brain was on autopilot. I never wanted to deny him anything he wanted, ever.

"My name is Be-"

**So it's been a little more than a year since I updated, and I never thought I would look at this story again, but I miss this. I miss writing**

yaoifanchick4lyfe

dA23434

**This is for you**

**Until next time**

**Which will be soon 3**

**-Ketzchexmex**

**Oh and if anyone's wondering what's up with my other story NOLY – there's an update coming FINALLY, so be on the look out!**

**Review!**

**Also looking for a BETA so if you're interested PM me or you can message me on my blog:**

**.com**


	3. Chapter 3

"My name is Be-" at that very moment, Zeppelin couldn't take it anymore and barked loudly, cutting me off mid sentence. It startled me and I was pulled from the robotic trance my body had been stuck in. It felt as though I was trapped inside a bubble and then once it popped, I suddenly became aware of where I was and who I was talking to. Where had any of my senses gone? How could I have just been about to do that? Give away my name to some freaky stranger? (Granted it was just an animal, but an odd and dangerous one at that) It was clearly not a regular wolf.

Without another glance I felt my natural instinctual adrenaline kick in and what my body had been screaming at me to do when I first saw the beast; run.

I turned and ran towards my house like there was no tomorrow. Zeppelin obliged and we didn't stop or look back until we were at the front steps of my porch. I didn't pause or look around and as I stood there panting in exhaustion and panic, feeling as though my heart would leap out of my chest at any moment, I realized that nothing had followed us and the street was just as quiet and boring as it could have ever been.

It was then that I began to think and began to worry, that none of that had actually happened. I truly began to consider the idea that is was all just my mind playing a ridiculous trick on me.

That was what the terrifying truth was though, It had happened. Every part of it.

There had been a wolf in that church parking lot, whose thoughts I could read, who had wanted to talk to me, who had wanted to know my name, and had some ability to manipulate my mind. I know I'm not one to talk, but things like that don't happen. Something beyond rational explanation was going on, and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

Fortunately the rest of the summer went on without another incident. I hadn't forgotten about the wolf, I had just let it slide down my list of major priorities as the beginning of school, and my junior year, started looming near.

It wasn't that I hated the work that came with school, no, that was really my favorite part. It was the fear with having to deal with my fellow peers that terrified me. At least I'll have Edward to still talk to, and that alone made the idea of going back much less frightening. When the first day did eventually come around, it momentarily made me sad that the day didn't seem different or special at all in any way. I got up and got dressed and then made myself breakfast like any other morning. My mom was no where to be found so once I finished, I just grabbed my bag and the house keys before locking up and headed off down the familiar route to school on my bike.

The front area of the building was filled with students excitingly greeting each other and comparing different schedules. After locking my bike to a tree, I made my way to the school's office. The lady who worked at the main desk recognized me immediately and began to search for my folder before I even signed anything. People here were eager and willing to be done with me as soon as possible and avoid as much interaction as doable. She pulled out a sheet of bright pink paper with my classes on it and at the top of the page was a post-it note wishing me a good day. I smiled at her genuinely because even though she's hoping I leave quickly in order to avoid an extremely awkward and embarrassing situation, I know that she really does care about the students at this school.

_She's such a sweet girl, I bet she would have so many friends is she were normal._

I felt a litter bitter bang, but knew that she wasn't being mean; she just pitied me like everyone else. I smiled once more at her without her knowing that her thoughts had killed me on the inside.

As I made my way through the familiar halls toward my new locker, I realized that everything was the same. All the students and even some of the staff and teachers were ready and excited about this year. Everyone expected this year to be new and different, but really, what had changed? They certainly had not. They all looked at me still like I was some foreign creature from a distant planet that didn't belong.

_There! There she is! Oh my gosh I've missed her so much! Ah!_

Just then I spotted Alice Brandon trying to push her way through the clusters of teenagers making her way towards me. When she finally managed to make it through, she was all smiles and enveloped me into a tight hug. Secretly, Alice loved being able to sign with me. She was very quiet and awkward normally in conversations, but with me, she could be silent and use all the time she wanted assuming I thought her delays were because she was thinking about the correct way to sign and not the actual responses.

"Hello! I missed you! How was your summer?" I could tell that she had been practicing from how much more quickly her sentences came out.

"I've missed how as well. My summer was pretty average, how was yours?" I had to go quite I bit slower than I normally would to make sure she could understand. Signing is one thing, but reading it a completely different matter.

"My summer was very fun and enjoyable. What school lesson do you have first?" I giggled internally at how formally her words had come out. I handed her the pink paper and she quickly dug hers out to compare. Alice may be too formal at times but that's why it's so nice to hear the real things in her thoughts. Instead of signing, she simply pointed out that we had 2nd, 4th, 5th, and lunch period together. The first bell rang and she quickly pulled me in again for a hug before heading off in the direction of her homeroom class.

Other students were doing the same and I took the time to actually look at my schedule. I followed the crowd and made it into my English class with a few minutes to spare. A seating chart was written on the board and unsurprisingly found myself seated in the very back of the room. I had had this teacher back in freshman year. Back then we didn't have assigned seating so I would position myself up front to get a better view of the board. The problem though was that the teacher would keep calling on me and I would have to pretend to not have heard him. To say it was humiliating is an understatement. The pattern would always be the same: He would call on me, I would ignore, he would call on me again, I would continue as though I had heard nothing, and then he would get flustered and prepare to come over to my desk until a student would finally remind him of the situation. He would then be embarrassed and pretend as if he knew the entire time and as though nothing had happened. I understand completely how he would not want a repeat of that this year.

When the bell rung everyone took their seats and Mr. Templet came in and set his things on the desk. "Welcome back students, it's good to see all of your faces awake and ready to go." Just then there was a soft knock on the door and Edward stepped inside the room. "Mr. Cullen, you're not on my class roster, where are you supposed to be?"

"Sorry sir, there was a mistake with my schedule. I was told to come here until they can see if they can fix it in the main office."

"Alright, that's fine, but all the seats are filled except for the one in the back next to Isabella if you don't mind."

Asshole. I just glared at him… "No of course not, this way I'll have an easier way ignoring you." He turned to me and flashed me a quick smile. Mr. Templet said nothing in response but instead huffed and began to pull out various papers from his bag.

Edward sat down next to me and pulled me into a hug. I tried to keep my heart from exploding out of my chest while engulfed in his cool touch. He released me and smiled again before signing _I've missed you, how are you doing?_

I decided that now was the time. This was going to be the year that I would stop being a freak. I couldn't read his mind but I knew that Edward only and strictly saw me as a friend, but not anymore. It felt weird, but almost in a good way when I actually spoke, "I'm alright, I've missed seeing you too." It wasn't too bad, a little hoarse, but if you didn't know any better I could pass for a normal person with a sore throat. Edward's reaction was perfect: completely shocked of course but it turned into amazement. I could tell he was truly impressed.

"I hope I'm not bothering you two in the back there, am I?" I quickly turned away and looked down while Edward replied quickly and calmly, "No sir, we're doing perfectly fine thank-you." The class laughed and was clearly losing his sense of humor.

"Mr. Cullen, I would hate to have to continue this conversation in the front office especially on the first day. I suggest you keep your little clever comments to yourself before I do something you'll regret." He didn't even let Edward respond before continuing to talk about whatever he was going on about before.

I turned around towards Edward and mouthed the word 'sorry' before looking forward and actually started to pay attention. I wanted to talk to him more, but I didn't want to get him in trouble which would lead him to being upset with me.

Instead of listening though, he took out a pen and a scrap piece of paper. After scribbling for a second he passed it to me.

_I can't believe it! That was amazing! I didn't know you could speak so well._

I didn't hesitate before grabbing my own pen and writing down a response.

Well honestly I've always been able to; I've just never had a reason to before. But I want to now.

_Well that's a shame that I've had to wait until now. You have a beautiful voice; I'm glad that this hopefully won't be a one time occurrence_

I blushed and looked away while Edward pulled the paper into his notebook while Templet walked around the room. Apparently he was talking about the books we were going to read this year and after looking at the list he had handed out I was surprised that I had already read some of them. He began to go over the rest of the class syllabus when there was another knock on the door. Without waiting for a response, the door opened and the school principal pocked his head inside.

"Oh, Mr. Mark, what can I do for you this morning?"

"Sorry to disturb you're class, but we have a new student who has just moved to town. I I've been showing him around the school, sorry I've made him late."

"Oh it's no problem; just show them in, we still have an empty seat in the back."

Around here new kids aren't really that big of news. We're a big school and kids come and go all the time. I used to try to befriend them, but once they learn of my 'condition' well, you get the idea. Unfortunately the only last seat was the other one on the other side of me. I wouldn't be any help to this new kid and they would have to deal with the awkward situation with figuring me out. It's a terrible experience for both parties.

Edward grabbed my hand that was on top on the desk and slipped me our paper from before.

_It's ok, I'll handle it._

Could this boy be any more perfect?

Mr. Mark stepped outside and ushered in the new kid inside. "Students I would like to introduce your new classmate Jacob Black. I'm sure you'll all be civil and make him feel very welcome here."

He stepped inside the room and I gasped quietly.

He was gorgeous.

The first thing that stood out about him was his height. He was TALL. And BIG. He wore a simple dark grey t-shirt that clung to his muscles, and boy did it cling. His arms were ridiculously toned and you could even see the outline of his very predominant six pack abs. He was very dark skinned and had short cropped black hair. He did a little awkward wave to the class and smiled. My god, his teeth were perfect too…that's just unfair.

"Welcome Mr. Black, if you don't mind, there's a seat for you in the back there." You could tell Mr. Templet was beginning to get seriously aggravated with all of the interruptions. Jacob made his way towards his seat and I kept my eyes down. My palms were sweating and I could feel the blush start to rush towards my cheeks.

_Stay calm Bella. Breathe. In and out. Edward said he would take care of this don't worry. Now calm down before you embarrass the shit out of yourself._

I could feel the chair scrap against the floor as he pulled it to sit down. With one final deep breath I looked up and turned to smile and be polite.

_Don't speak; just offer your hand to shake or something._

I was about to do all that…except he stopped me dead in my tracks.

Because when I looked at him, he was also looking at me,

And the fist thing that I saw was his eyes.

And they looked familiar.

Terrifyingly familiar.

They were brown and glowing and light and dark all somehow at the same time.

And immediately only one thing popped into my mind.

…

The wolf


	4. Chapter 4

This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening. I'm going crazy again. But why here? Why now? This just had to be luck. My life had to suck this much didn't it? I had to lose my mind just as one of the most gorgeous guys in the world sits down and looks at me, didn't I?

They couldn't be the same eyes, there's just no way. Lots of people have the same eyes. The wolf's weren't even that light, more of a really not dark color…oh who am I kidding, they're exactly the same! But wait, did that mean-

"Hi, there, I'm Jacob," he said quietly cutting off my thought process. He smiled, flashing his dazzling white teeth, and held out his hand for me to shake. "What's yours beautiful?"

I opened my mouth to speak without realizing that there was a massive frog in my throat and the fact that besides my one sentence before, I hadn't participated in a conversation in over two years. Thankfully, right at that moment, I was interrupted by Edward who I had honestly completely forgotten about since Jacob had walked in the room. He reached over my turned shoulder and extended his hand out to clasp Jacob's.

"Hey there Jacob, I'm Edward." Jacob's soft gaze disappeared as he glared harshly over my shoulder. "You'll have to pardon my friend here, she's deaf, and for the most part doesn't talk."

Without missing a beat he shifted his gaze towards me and smiled again. "Wow, that's incredible. Let me try again then." Releasing Edward's hand, he signed what he had said earlier. It was amazing, his hands moved quickly and confidently as if he had been doing it his entire life. Not a single stumble or mistake and I'm sure the shock was written all over my face. I could feel Edward take in a quick breath behind me.

"I can tell you're surprised," he continued when I didn't respond, "I learnt how a couple of years ago thinking it might be useful one day. Glad to know I was right." I couldn't help but smile. "Now, one last time with feeling; what's your name?"

"Bella," I signed before holding my own hand out for him to shake, but instead he took my hand in his and lifted it to his mouth before placing a soft kiss on it. Edward growled.

"Perfect. I mean it fits you perfectly." I had no clever response other than to look down and blush furiously. No guy had ever said or done anything like this since, well, never. I think it's fair to say that due to my lack of experience my reaction was totally justifiable.

Edward placed his hand on my left shoulder as he leaned around my back to speak again. "Ya well, if you need any help getting around school, you should let the office know, they're pretty good with setting new kids up with volunteers on the welcome committee." Just then the bell rang and Templet dismissed the class. Edward locked his arm with mine and pulled me with him as he stood up.

"Come on Bella, let's go," he signed before picking up his bag and looping it over his other shoulder.

Jacob stood as well and gently grasped my arm before signing, "It was great meeting you Bella, maybe I'll see you around some time?" I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face as I nodded. "Great, I look forward to it."

He picked up his own bag and quickly made his way to the front of the room while I gathered my books. He glanced one more time at me and I got another good look at his eyes before he exited the room. I looked up at Edward who was looking towards the door as well before looking down at me.

"He seems nice."

"Yes, but I don't know. There's something about him that I really don't like. Something doesn't feel right about him." I scoffed and rolled my eyes at his idea and he laughed and playfully shoved me before leading me out of the room.

As he walked me to my next class I couldn't help but wonder. Jacob seemed like a really nice guy, but there was a part of me that I kept trying to push down that thought otherwise.

Whether I was willing to admit it to myself or not, Edward was right, there was something just not totally right about Jacob and the whole wolf thing didn't help either. As I sat through my next class I couldn't help but replay the memory in my mind and consider the comparisons between Jacob and the wolf.

First there were the eyes, then the same infectious personalities. I had never had any sort of interaction before with anyone my age besides the very few students I knew and even those relationships were results of many years of knowing them, besides Edward of course. How could Jacob and I get along so well, so quickly?

And then it hit me.

For the entire time he was in the classroom and the for the entire period of time that we had spoken, I hadn't been able to read his mind.


	5. Chapter 5

I let out a small gasp and some of the kids turned around to look at me. I buried my nose into my notebook and pretended to be writing something. How could that be? How could I not read his mind? What's wrong with me? Well…ok, maybe not the best way to phrase that question, but still! The only person I couldn't hear was Edward and that was frustrating enough, now Jacob?

I scanned the room to make sure I could still hear anyone at all and stopped at Alice who was seated at the front of the room. "Ugh these first day reviews are the worst. I barely remember any of this shit from last year!" I was about to tune her out but stopped when she got really excited, "Well at least there's that new kid in my homeroom, he was really cute!" I giggled to myself quietly as I left her to her own thoughts. I have to admit that I was kind of jealous of her though. Sure she was like anyone else and had had her own problems, I mean who doesn't, but for the most part Alice was genuinely for the most part happy. She didn't have the kinds of issues that I had. She could like a boy without wondering if he secretly led a double life as a wolf. Unfortunately I didn't have that luxury.

And was that what I really thought? Were Jacob and the wolf the same person…uh, animal? Maybe they were somehow related. I'm not naïve enough to not consider the supernatural options. I could read minds for heaven's sake, and although I've never heard of or met anyone that shares my bizarre talents, doesn't mean that there isn't a possibility that they're out there. And if people like me exist than who knows what else could possibly be out there. Was it really such a crazy stretch to consider the fact that Jacob may in fact be part wolf?

Oh course it is. I'm crazy remember?

Well then, what exactly was the connection? And did I really want to figure out what it was?

Of course…

Not.

Did you forget that the last time you saw that wolf it had tried to put you under some sort of mind spell. Last time I checked that didn't imply happy go lucky friendly creature. The wolf was after something and as much as I hated to admit it to myself, that something might just be me.

The bell rang and after saying a quick goodbye to Alice, I walked towards my last morning class before lunch. Like my homeroom there was a seating chart on the board and I had been sentenced to the back. What caught my eye though was the name of the student next to me on my left.

Jacob Black

I took my seat as the rest of the students filled in and just as the bell rang, Jacob stepped into the room, and immediately started to walk to the back on the room. He didn't even so much as glance at the board before taking a seat next me and flashing me that dazzling white smile. Without hesitation he signed, "So we meet again Bella, how has your day been so far?"

Despite my reservations and crazy theories about what kind of mammal he may be I happily replied, "I'm doing great, but you're the new kid here, shouldn't I be asking you that?" He laughed before answering, "I suppose you're right, but I adapt quickly so everything is going really well today, especially since I met you." I whole new round of blush engulfed my face before the teacher began the lesson. Jacob and I spent the rest of the period half listening and half messing around with each other. He would say something funny and I would giggle and then I would make a face and he would stifle his laugher into his arms. Aside from the fact that it was hushed and in the back of the classroom, it was probably one of the best conversations, or well, interaction that I've had with anyone my age.

Jake, as he preferred to be called, was sweet and funny and extremely charming, and well not to beat around the bush but really attractive as well. Ok so he was extremely attractive, and as I walked towards the cafeteria I found myself thinking less and less about how I wanted Edward and I to be together and more and more what it would be like to have a guy like Jake by my side.

Edward is a great friend, one of my only real ones, and as gorgeous and gentle and amazing as he is, he's just never seemed to be to interested in me after all of these years that I've known him. Who am I kidding though? I've only known Jake for a couple hours and I'm sure he's met plenty of other pretty, normal girls, already. Why would either Jake or Edward like me?

I stepped into the cafeteria and scanned around looking for Alice, when I saw Edward waving at me through the glass doors that led outside. I waved and he signaled me to follow him. I pointed towards the lunch line indicating I needed to get some food but he just shook his head and held up a brown paper bag and signaled again for me to come. I looked around the room again and saw Alice talking with some other friends while Jake was no where to be seen, so I walked across the room and followed Edward outside to where there were some benches underneath a tree.

When I sat down across from him he signaled, "I hope you don't mind but I thought we could eat outside today. Together. Is that ok?" Edward and Jake could go head to head in a smile competition if such things existed. Edward's smile paired with his shinning amber eyes nearly knocked the air right out of my chest.

"Yes, that's great. Thank you."

"Wonderful, we come on, let's dig in!" Edward opened up the bag and pulled out a couple of sandwiches and two drinks. We sat and ate and talked and everything was amazing. We never got along this well before. It was as if something switched inside of him. After throwing away our trash, he offered me his arm as we walked together to our next class that we both had.

I came to school this year with the resolution to have Edward see me as someone more than a friend…I secretly hoped that he had come with a similar resolution as well.


	6. Chapter 6

There was a really cold wind as I rode my bike home from school. Considering that it's still August, that's extremely weird for Texas during the last lingering summer months. Sure the weather here is always unpredictable but never this crazy. Temperatures shouldn't even think about dropping until mid November. As soon as I got home I practically threw my bike into the garage and ran into the house. I swore I saw my own breathe before I slammed the door behind me.

I rang the bell next to the front door to let my mom know I was home. I waited for a second for a reply but the house remained silent. Zepplin came to greet me though and happily trotted over from his mat in the corner of the room. I bent down to pet him, but as he got really close, he suddenly stopped. He leaned forward towards my outstretched hand sniffed me before lowering his head and letting out a low growl, slightly baring his teeth. I backed up and raised my hands. What the hell was wrong with me? Zepplin relaxed a little, but when I took a cautious step forward he growled again louder and let out a bark.

"Bella? That you, for Christ sake, the dog wants to go out, open the door!" From my mother's voice it sounded like she had taken refuge on her sobering couch and had just woken up. It made me worry about what exactly she had been doing to already end up there at four in the afternoon, but I suppose if she wanted to throw he life away it wasn't me job to stop her. Normally I would care, really I would, but after having one of the best first days of school probably ever, I had made a decision that this year was going to be my turning point.

I slowly crossed the room and opened the back door for Zeplin who I swore shit me a dirty look before running outside. Ok so as weird as that was, maybe it was a sign. This year it's time to become friends with real people instead of just my dog. I went into the kitchen to put some old lasagna in the oven before heading up to my room. It didn't take any time at all to finish all the silly trivial work normally assigned on the first day. So here I am, sitting in my room, bored out of my mind. I laid back on my bed and as I traced patterns in the designs on the ceiling, I thought back again to today.

Today really had been, for the most part, normal. Teachers weren't irritated with me, Alice and I had reconnected, Edward and I talked and had lunch, and I met Jacob.

Jake.

Ugh, unfortunately he was the only part of my day that was anything else but normal. Was it really such a horrible thing for me to be normal? Why did the universe have it out for me like this? Really, what had I done? I rolled over onto my stomach and reached behind my headboard. Tucked into a secret basket was my log. I carefully pulled it out and caught some of the pages that slipped from the pages.

I flipped it open and ran my fingers across the pages. Some of them had diary entrees and old pictures I had found in boxes that my mom didn't know about. One of the pictures I had was one of my mom and dad on their wedding day. Besides a badly taken and out of focus family shot, this is the only photo of my father that I have. He had dark skin and a warm smile. I had gotten his same deep brown eyes. I put the picture back in its place and flipped to the pages I was looking for. This wasn't originally my book; I have no clue who the past owner was. I found the log in the same secret pocket when I was fourteen and completely by accident. Most of the writing is smudged and illegible, but there are pictures and what looks like research and notes about, what I suppose we would call the supernatural. At first I thought it was just one of those kid books they sell in the stores, but as I read the part that I could, I realized that it was more of a journal.

The author talks about how when he was a teen, he suddenly became some sort of monster. He hated himself and tried to kill himself, but he couldn't do it. Not that he couldn't go through it, but nothing worked. He was afraid that he would be cursed to live as a reincarnation of the devil for all of eternity. However he soon came to accept his fate and since he dreams of being a scientific researcher were ruined, he dedicated the rest of his life to studying his own deformities, and the possibility that he may not be the only monster in our world. He ran away from home and lived in isolation until he writes about meeting a woman he soon became infatuated with. That was his last entrée. There was no explanation, no clue as to what happened to him or the women, just empty blank pages filled with unanswered questions.

When I first read it, I hadn't even considered that he was being serious until I reached a part where we talked about how sometimes he could hear voices in his head when he turned over to his creature side. The way he describes it is exactly what's it's like for me when I listen to people. He was so detailed and spot on about every aspect that I knew it couldn't have been made up, there just wasn't any possibility. I have no idea how old these entrees are since he never dated any of them, but I've always hoped that he's still alive, and maybe he'll come back looking for his journal. Because he would understand what it's like, maybe he knows more about it, or even better, maybe he knows more people like me.

I read over some more pages and tried to decipher some of the pages he had written in some sort of a code. It wasn't a guarantee, but this log gave me some hope that I might not be as alone in this world as I always thought I was. I took a quick shower and changed into some sweats. Deciding that I didn't feel hungry at all, I gave up on dinner and went downstairs to turn the oven off and throw a blanket over my mother, still fast asleep on her couch. I opened the back door and called out for Zepplin careful to keep my distance in case he went weird on me again. He walked straight up to me and lovingly nudged my leg before walking past and plopping himself down onto his mat. Brushing the whole incident off I went back upstairs and got ready for the bed. I had to go and grab another blanket because it was freezing inside the house.

I checked the outside thermostat and was shocked at the 45 it read. As I climbed into bed with the log I could hear the wind whistle against my bedroom window and beat down on the trees outside. I snuggled in deeper into my covers and opened the log to a random page.

"I knew I was different the morning I woke up. Something had changed within me, and although at the time I didn't consciously know exactly what it was, I felt the change. It wasn't just me though; it was everything around me as well. People looked at me different, the sky was always darker, the wind was always blowing, and everything was cold no matter where I went. It followed me. The darkness I had brought into this world follows me forever as my punishment, as my curse."

I felt another pang of cold shiver through my body before I set the log back into its place, turned off the light, and covered my head with my blankets to shield me from the outside cold before I fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning I woke up late and had to rush to get ready. I was planning on digging out my heavy winter jacket, but when I pushed open my curtains, the sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly as it began to rise. Unbelievable. Last night I could have sworn there was some freak arctic storm coming in and now it's as if the whole thing never happened.

I slipped on a sundress one of my aunts had sent me for my birthday last year and some sandals before grabbing my bag and heading downstairs. After letting Zepplin out and checking that my mother was still sleeping, I grabbed my keys and went to grab my bike.

Just as I opened the front door, I nearly ran face first into Edward who was standing right there with his hand raised as if he were about to knock. He grabbed my shoulders to help me balance out and recover from my shock. Once I was properly on my feet, I signed, "What are you doing here? You scared me!"

He laughed and I just playfully shoved his arm before stepping around him to get my bike from the garage. He ran after me and grabbed my hand, pulling me around to face him. "Oh come on," he signed back, "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to frighten you." I raised an eyebrow at him "Ok, well it was funny…," I shoved him again, "but it was wrong! I'm sorry," He kept laughing, "please forgive me." I 'humphed' at him and crossed my arms across my chest. He stopped laughing and took a step closer towards me. I kept my head down and stared at his hands and he leaned in over my shoulder. "I'm sorry Bella," he lifted my chin so I was looking straight up into his eyes. My breath caught in my throat and I froze.

His eyes sparkled and his eyebrows rose and came together as if he were asking again, "forgive me." We were lost in this moment; it was as if the world around us disappeared. Edward smiled before leaning in closer. Oh my god, he's going to kiss me, this is it…

We were only a few centimeters away from each other's lips when Edward suddenly pulled away and then pulled me behind him just as a motorcycle came speeding into my driveway and screeched to a halt right were we had been standing a moment ago. I hadn't seen it coming at all, Edward had moved us so quickly, I barely had time to blink. Once again Edward had knocked by breath away. Edward turned around to face me and grabbed my face gently in his hands. As everything that had just happened caught up with me, I'm sure my face was pale and as my heart started beating frantically.

Edward mouthed, "you ok?" I nodded before he let me go and quickly turned to the guy dismounting his motor bike. I could hear him yell, "What the hell is your problem? You could have hurt her, you could have killed her!"

The guy took off his helmet, and there standing in my driveway clad in a leather jacket was none other than Jacob Black.


	8. Chapter 8

Edward looked furious with Jacob who just stood there with a shit eating grin plastered all over his face.

…and there's that smile again…

"Hey Edmund," he barely acknowledged Edward as he side-stepped around him, and then, signed to me, "Hey gorgeous, how are you doing this morning?" It was really hard to be mad at him for nearly killing me  
when he looked at me like that. It was if every time we made any kind of eye contact, we were connecting on some sort of deeper level. All my anger and fear and panic that had filled me moments ago dissipated into thin air. It was such a strange feeling, as if I weren't the one  
controlling me own emotions.

He waved his hand it front of my eyes, "yoowho, anyone home? I know you're not blind too."

I snapped back into attention and Edward came over and punched Jacob in the arm, "don't be so rude to her, you nearly killed her, she's a little out of it at the moment." He then turned to me and signed, "are you sure that you're ok?"

I nodded again and let out a deep breath, "crazy morning huh?" Both Edward and Jacob's eyes widened at the sound of my voice.

"What the hell was that?" Jacob looked seriously freaked out and almost angry while Edward's smile couldn't get bigger. I returned the smile, it made me really happy to know that he was so proud of me, honestly I was too. Sure I could speak, but after years of not wanting to say anything and no one wanting to hear me, it felt incredible to come out of my shell.

"What the hell was that Bella?" Jacob shouted again. I turned from Edward and saw that Jacob was really upset, like REALLY upset. His eyes looked murderous, and suddenly I felt this wave of dread come over me. "You're not supposed to be able to talk, you're deaf for fuck sake!"

Edward intervened as Jacob took a step towards me; I stepped back.

"Seriously, what the hell is your problem? This is amazing that she can do this and all you can do is yell at her like it's something terrible? You just met her yesterday and all she's been is nice to  
your sorry ass. What have you done? You almost hurt her and now you're screaming at her, get out of here, before I do something I seriously won't regret."

Jacob acted like he hadn't heard a word of what Edward had said. He just kept staring at me like he was searching for something, like I wasn't the person he should be talking to. "Your name is Bella Swan isn't it?"

I nodded, once again frozen under his stare.

"And your mom is Renee?"

I nodded again, brushing off the fact that he somehow knew that about me.

He straightened out his jacket and walked over to his bike where his helmet sat. Right before he put it on he said, "Then you shouldn't be able to talk," he hesitated for a moment, "and you shouldn't look you're understanding everything that I'm saying."

I inhaled sharply at what he had said. I can't believe I had forgotten to ignore and not hear what they said to me. I chanced a quick glace towards Edward who stood beside me, and I saw his eyebrows pull together in confusion before they rose in understanding.

Without another word, Jacob started up his bike and pulled out of my driveway before disappearing down the street.

**AN: so really quick! I really appreciate all the favorites and follows for this story, just knowing that are people who want to read my work is amazing!  
**  
**I really don't like authors who demand reviews, but I really would love some feedback on what you guys think. What do you like, not like, any questions you may have, thoughts, opinions, questions? I accept them all! So please, I would love to hear from you!**

Until next time,  
~Ketzchexmex


	9. Chapter 9

An awkward silence fell over Edward and I as the last hums of Jake's bike could be heard in the distance. He didn't make a move to say anything, but I could feel his eyes burning holes into the side of my face. I refused to look at him as I locked my gaze on nothing in particular in the other direction. Finally after some unknown period of time, Edward reached out to grab my shoulder and I turned to him. He spoke while he signed, "What's going on Bella? What was Jacob talking about?"

What could I tell him? The truth? Could I really do that? It might just kill me to have him think of me as some sort of abomination. When I didn't respond, he kept going, "Bella, let's just forget this. We were having a good morning before he interrupted. He's a jerl and I don't think either of us should talk to him anymore." Suddenly Edward's words were finally registering in my mind and I was fully awake and aware of everything he was telling me.

"What? No!" I managed to shout, "Jake's odd, sure, but that's only because he's new, we should be nice to him, he doesn't have many friends here." I couldn't explain it, but I couldn't stand the idea of not seeing Jake. The thought of never talking to him again just felt wrong everywhere in body.

Edward looked incredulous. That was the most I had ever said in one go, but he looked more confused than anything, looking at me like I had suddenly grown an extra head. "Are you kidding? He just yelled at you, how are you defending him?"

He was right and I knew I was being ridiculous, but another part of me took those rational thoughts of knowing I should stay away, and shoved them into a corner. "I don't know! He's probably just stressed about being the new kid, I'm sure he didn't mean it." I knew my logic was faulty and the corner rational thoughts screamed for attention, but they were once again beaten up and shoved back where they wouldn't bother anyone.

"Bella, please, look I know we don't know him all that well, and I understand you're just trying to be nice, but I don't like the guy. Something about him just throws me off and gives me a bad vibe. I don't like him."

"That doesn't make any sense, how can you not like someone you barely even know?"

He stepped in closer and I quietly gasped as once again he took my face between his hands and locked his eyes with mine.

"Because," he spoke slowly so that I could read his lips, "he looks at you like I do." He paused to make sure I understood, "And I want to be the only one to do that." I could feel my blush rise up and engulf my face as the part of my mind that obsessed over Jake was squashed by the part that only thought of Edward. My smile broke out and he readily returned it before releasing my face and grabbing my hand and led me over to his parked car. He opened the door for me before crossing over and getting in himself

He let out a big sigh before turning towards me and signing, "Well this morning didn't go exactly how I had imagined it, but at least I got what I wanted." I raised an eyebrow as if to ask, "and what exactly was it that you wanted?"

Edward didn't say anything after that, so I opted for looking out the window instead. He started the car and pulled out onto the road before grabbing my hand with his extremely cool hand. Without turning or taking his eyes off the road he said, "I got to drive you to school." I barely heard him and although I could feel the heat beginning to rise to my cheeks, I tried to pretend I hadn't heard him like the deaf girl I was supposed to be.

But as the car fell silent and we got closer to school, he briefly tightened his grip on my hand and I couldn't help but wonder if he knew I had heard him or not.

**So sorry for the wait!**

**I can't believe the response I got for the last chapter! I love all of your feedback and encouragement! Please let me know what you think so far, and any questions you may have!**

**Quick clear up! This wasn't originally supposed to be a FF, so the first couple chapters might have messed up details. I think I said Edward had green eyes one chapter and then amber the next. My mistake, they're supposed to be amber, he's a vampire! **

**Hope that helps!**


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